Genesis 49:13

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:13 Zabulon in littore maris habitabit, et in statione navium pertingens usque ad Sidonem.

Zabulon will dwell on the shore of the sea, and in the anchorage of ships, reaching even to Sidon.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Zabulon Zebulun PN.NOM.SG.M
2 in on / in PREP+ABL
3 littore shore N.NEUT.ABL.SG
4 maris of the sea N.NEUT.GEN.SG
5 habitabit he will dwell V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 et and CONJ.COORD
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 statione station / anchorage N.FEM.ABL.SG
9 navium of ships N.FEM.GEN.PL
10 pertingens reaching PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
11 usque even to ADV
12 ad to PREP+ACC
13 Sidonem Sidon PN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause: Zabulon in littore maris habitabit presents a future declaration about territory.
Zabulon is the subject; habitabit is the future verb; in littore maris is a prepositional phrase indicating location.

Second coordinated phrase: et in statione navium adds a second locality—“in the anchorage of ships”—highlighting maritime access.

Participial phrase: pertingens usque ad Sidonem modifies Zabulon, expressing extent: “reaching even to Sidon.”
usque ad Sidonem marks the geographic limit.

Morphology

  1. Zabulon — Lemma: Zabulon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Zabulon; Notes: one of Jacob’s sons.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: on / in; Notes: static position.
  3. littore — Lemma: littus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: shore; Notes: geographic boundary.
  4. maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the sea; Notes: specifies the shore.
  5. habitabit — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he will dwell; Notes: prophetic territorial promise.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates two clauses; Translation: and; Notes: additive connector.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces second locality; Translation: in; Notes: parallels earlier in.
  8. statione — Lemma: statio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: station / anchorage; Notes: maritime term.
  9. navium — Lemma: navis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of ships; Notes: maritime environment.
  10. pertingens — Lemma: pertingo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies Zabulon; Translation: reaching; Notes: expresses extent of territory.
  11. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: intensifies limit; Translation: even to; Notes: marks boundary.
  12. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses limit; Translation: to; Notes: used with usque.
  13. Sidonem — Lemma: Sidon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: Sidon; Notes: Phoenician coastal city.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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